The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1887-04-13

- S~SOAN AOuuAhat steps SuuuiU oe W
DIT the law and institutions of our fathers
to the altered conditions of the present
day. The spirit and animus of those in
situations, as shown by the laws relating
to inheritance, TO the public lands, and to
import duties, was to check as far as
possible the acosstion Of large properties
and the power Of monopolles on the one
hand, and encourage individual enterprise
and independent ownership on the other.
But the monopolies which strangle the
infart enterprises Of the present day are
not mainly those Of other lands, but the
Standard Oil, the coal, the transportation
and other monopolies OF our own country.
These must be restrained, ii at all, by
direct taxation and limiting laws. On
the other hand the encouragement form
erly given to independent ownership by
cheap and accessible land has been great
" lesseued and, as we have seen, the
difficulties In the way Of starting all new
enterprises have greatly increased owing
to the increasing amount and value Of the
capital required. Wise legislation (such
as 10 our earlier history, without forcing
or being forced by public sentiment, gent
ly took the lead in true progress) limiting
the rate of interest aud of transportation,
the hours Of labor and the amount of land
or other property which one person could
inherit, would doubtless do much to
remedy the above evils. But there is a
still more powerful instrument which the
American people will soon be forced to
choose for good or for i'll. The evidence
of the last ten years abundantly proves
that an appreciating gold standard, which
decreases the prices of labor and its pro-
ducts more rapidly than the decrease in
rates of capital and taxation, is the most
powerful means in our country to bank
rupt small holders of property and build
up great monopolies on their ruins. Per-
contra slightly depreciating standard Of
value which raised the value of labor and
Its products more rapidly than the rates
of capital, and just sufficient to balance
the growing power of the latter caused
by the increasing demands of humanity,
would be not only measure of justice,
but also the most effective means that can
be used to encourage new enterprises and
check by their competition the power Of
monopolies. With the present action Of
civilized nations on the standard of value,
a double standard In our country Is inn
possible. Without further stringent legis-
lation we must drift to a silver standard.
Under present circumstances silver and
its certificates would form an abundant
medium of exchange, giving for few
years atleast, sufficient protection against
home monopoly, while the resulting pre-
MUM on gold would form the best possi-
BILE self regulating tariff, placing the bur-
dens OF over-imports, not as atpresent on
the domestic producer, but, rs they should
be, on the consumer of foreign goods.
80 far the remedial measures proposed
are in exact line with the traditions and
usages of our country. Without doubt q
greater prosperity and increased competi-
tion among employers would do much to
allay the discomfort of labor, for, as has
been truly said by H. G. Carey, two en-
ployera competing for the same laborer Is
the road to freedom, while two laborers
competing for the same employer is the
road to slavery. But itcannot be ignored
that a great change has taken place In
the Industrial situation 10 oEr country
and ''new occasions bring new duties. y
Instead of numerous small estab lishmenti
with few employees having persona
interest in the business, which they may
hope some day themselves to WELD, WI
have immense establishments with their
hundreds or thousands of employees, fire..
quently unknown personally to the em.
ployer, and whose only hope Or interest IL
in the wages that they receive. We may
preach untiringly Of the mutual interests
of labor and capital, but while the fact
remains that there Is increasing friction
and hostility between them, there must
be something wrong In our industrial sys-
tenn. The theoretical remedy for lack OF
mutual interest between employer and
employed, is, doubtless, the sharing Of
profits, risks, and loss. The practical es.
adjustment Of such cooperation, while
extremely difficult, is rendered less 30 by
the organizations of labor which are train.
ing their members to mutual aid and sell
government. Already experiments in CO.
operative production and distribution are
being tried. Let government aid in the
matter by taxing the old system and Civ.
ing practical help to the new. This, 1t ID
true, would be paternal government, but
1t is precisely what was done to change
the old system of state banks into the
better, but too highly profitable, system
Of National Banks. But the banker thus
favored termed 1t not paternal govern.
ment, but wise and practical statesman
ship There is plainly an increasing
strain on the institutions of our country
The most wide spread and powerful or
ganization Of labor in the land, with III
leaders, are ready to settle disputed CUES
tons on the basis of arbitration ant
American reform through the ballot box
Will our capitalists unite with these true
Americans in securing industrial reform
and . contented people Or will they
stand selfishly and blindly aloof, while ths
strain increases, and the advocates o.
French revolution gain at last their covet
cd hold on the sentiments OF our people
Something ENTIRELY NEW II
window shades. A.. II. TITUS.
April est.
Gentlemen, you can get your clothel
cleaned and pressed at SO Swan st., q,
good rs at any place in the country, non,